Parma Planning Commission approves facade changes and outbuilding for The Shoppes at Parma

View full sizeThe Shoppes at Parma would feature a remodeled tower and a new public gathering space at the corner of Ridge Road and West Ridgewood Drive, under plans submitted to the city. This drawing was provided by Richard L. Bowen & Associates Inc.

PARMA

Plans to demolish and rebuild the facade of Parmatown Plaza — and construct one of six proposed outbuildings in front of neighboring Parmatown Mall — were approved March 27 by the Parma Planning Commission.

The new facade and outbuilding represent phase one of a bigger plan to renovate the entire mall and plaza and rename it The Shoppes at Parma.

The facade will feature a redesigned tower at the corner of Ridge Road and West Ridgewood Drive.

The mall’s owner, Phillips Edison & Co., hopes the tower will provide a fresh identity for the plaza and establish architectural themes for the entire shopping center.

Individual storefronts in the new facade will have different designs and materials — including masonry and stucco — to distinguish the plaza’s retailers from each other.

Meanwhile, the design of the outbuilding — which will likely contain two restaurants — will reflect the look of the plaza.

Also, the plaza and outbuilding lot will include courtyards where the public can gather.

“We believe the proposed facade renovation in the . . . plaza and the potential development of the (outbuilding) represent an architectural theme and community experience consistent with the city’s vision of this retail property and our objectives for this redevelopment,” Roy Williams, a Phillips Edison senior vice president, told the commission.

“This is a good thing for the city of Parma,” said Councilman Scott Tuma, who attended the meeting but who is not a commission member.

Williams said Phillips Edison has not yet decided when construction will begin on either the plaza or outbuilding.

At the meeting, Williams introduced Melanie Lewis, an architect with Richard L. Bowen & Associates Inc., a Cleveland firm that Phillips Edison has hired to work on

View full sizeLast week, the Parma Planning Commission approved the first of six proposed outbuildings for The Shoppes at Parma. It will stand in front of Marcâs Deeper Discount Store and will contain two tenants, possibly restaurants. This drawing was provided by Richard L. Bowen & Associates Inc.

the mall project.

Lewis said the existing Parmatown Plaza is 1,100 feet long but contains only a couple of architectural breaks. She said it resembles a tunnel.

“The proposed elevations for The Shoppes at Parma is to bring more of a main-street feel, to break up the facade, hopefully bring a sense of place for the community and even outside the community,” Lewis told the commission.

Lewis said the redesigned plaza facade will consist of several architectural breaks so that storefronts stand out from each other. She said the unique appearances of individual shops inspired the name The Shoppes at Parma.

Williams said the new facade will allow shoppers to appreciate the size of Marc’s Deeper Discount Store, the plaza’s anchor tenant. He said Marc’s takes up more than 30 percent of the plaza but it is hard to recognize that now.

“We want to emphasize the prominence of Marc’s and create a clean and nice feel as you come up to the space,” Williams said.

Lewis discussed the plaza’s tower, which is at Antonio’s Pizza and Spaghetti near the corner of West Ridgewood and Ridge.

Kyle Hulewat, a designer with Richard L. Bowen, said the tower will stand a little taller than the existing 38-foot-tall tower. The tower will also be moved slightly away from the plaza to make it more prominent, he said.

The area near the tower will contain a public courtyard, Lewis said.

A pedestrian pathway will lead from the plaza to the outbuilding, Williams said. The 4,900-square-foot outbuilding will stand in front of Marc’s, he said.

View full sizeThe existing Parmatown Plaza will have various looks as it transitions into The Shoppes at Parma. This drawing was provided by Richard L. Bowen & Associates Inc.

In a previous meeting, a handful of West Ridgewood Drive residents, who live across from the mall, opposed the six outbuildings. They feared the buildings would bring additional noise, trash, traffic and lights to their neighborhood.

Williams said he recently met with those residents and promised to address their worries through several means.

First, Phillips Edison will install more landscaping on the outbuilding lot than required by city code, Williams said.

City code requires landscaping to cover 10 percent of the lot. Williams said his firm will plant landscaping on 17 percent of the lot.

Second, instead of facing the building’s front toward the plaza, as originally planned, Phillips Edison will face the building to the west, so that residents across the street won’t have to look at the rear of the building, Williams said.

Third, all four sides of the building will be architecturally appealing, Williams said.

Fourth, improved lighting will provide security for the outbuilding but won’t spill into the residential neighborhood, Lewis said.

Fifth, Dumpsters on the outbuilding property will be placed away from the residents and will be enclosed within masonry walls and a gate, Williams said.

Finally, the building will rise only 22 feet. Williams said retailers prefer higher buildings that are more visible and allow for bigger signs.

Jeffrey Crossman, a planning commissioner, asked if all of the residents’ issues have been addressed.

Williams said “most if not all” of the issues have been addressed.

“It’s going to be an ongoing process but I think we’re doing our best to address their concerns,” Councilman Tuma said.

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